Kitchen Cleaner Series: Easy, Non-Toxic Oven Cleaner

photo credit: idreamofclean.net

Ever notice some extra scent coming from your oven when baking something? If that’s the case, it’s time to clean it! My last oven definitely needed a cleaning before we moved last summer and, unfortunately, didn’t get the proper cleaning! Opps! One time I was going to run the self-cleaning cycle it had, but it was going to take hours!! I wasn’t going to be around and wanted to use the oven, so I cancelled the self-cleaning and never got around to it.

Recently I noticed something extra cooking in the oven at our new house, so I decided to give it a scrub. I used just baking soda and vinegar, which did an okay job; although, I needed to let the stuff sit in there to really eat at the grime. In Heather Dessinger’s ebook DIY Non-Toxic Cleaning Recipes, she also suggests using salt, washing soda, water and scrubbing with gloves and steel wool. Here’s another alternative, suggested by Wellness Mama, that sounds easier:

1. Pull out the oven racks.
2. Spray the oven with water.
3. Layer the entire oven with a thick layer of baking soda.
4. If any baking soda isn’t wet, spray it with water.
5. Let sit for a few hours.
6. Wipe up with a rag.

Katie, of Wellness Mama, says she uses this and it works great. I think I’m going to try this one! But, I think I’ll use a mixture of vinegar and water sprayed on the oven. Vinegar and baking soda are miracle cleaners together! Shall we take a quick look at conventional oven cleaners, though?

Conventional Oven Cleaners

The EWG database scores most oven cleaners an “F” because they don’t disclose all their ingredients and have some highly toxic chemicals in them, causing everything from respiratory problems and skin allergies to cancer.

Why else should you choose some baking soda, vinegar, and water? That mixture will cost you less than a dollar, probably less than 50 cents, while a conventional oven cleaner will cost several dollars. So save yourself $3-$5 and cake some baking soda in your oven!

Does your oven need a cleaning? What do you like to clean with baking soda and vinegar?